An emerging information technology (IT) delivery model is cloud computing, by which shared resources, software, and information are provided as a service over a network, for example, the internet to computers, mobile devices, and other user devices. Cloud computing enables an on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources. Cloud computing systems in virtualized computing environments comprise servers, network storage devices, routers, gateways, communication links, and other devices. Cloud computing systems accelerate application performance, enable companies to quickly deliver business results, achieve greater productivity, realize a faster time to market, and result in increased customer satisfaction. Cloud computing systems also provide the ability to store, share, and analyze large amounts of data, thereby ensuring that users have access to information at the right time which, in turn, improves decision making, productivity, and collaboration. Cloud computing can significantly reduce IT costs and complexities while improving workload optimization and service delivery.
Cloud computing systems are widely used, for example, in the medical industry, legal litigation and administration fields, certified public accounting (CPA) firms, the banking industry, brokerage firms, educational institutions, etc., for storing critical data comprising, for example, medical records, legal data, company data, community data, financial data, banking data, educational records, etc. Although cloud computing has become increasingly popular for internal operations and external operations in personal and public cloud computing systems and provides many advantages, data security in a cloud storage environment and in user devices remains a major concern. While technical and legal protection may exist, the integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of critical business information deployed in a cloud storage environment cannot be ensured absolutely.
Concerns over identity theft have led users and resource providers to add additional layers of security, for example, long and more complicated passwords and multifactor authentication solutions. Different technologies have been developed to prevent security breaches in cloud computing systems. For example, physical security of cloud computing systems is addressed by locating the cloud computing systems in a secure facility. Communication links are encrypted or secured to prevent eavesdropping in communications with computing resources. Application programs and databases are secured using authentication protocols to prevent unauthorized access. However, online fraud has grown into a sophisticated underground economy that requires infrastructure on a massive scale. Phishing, password cracking, and denial-of-service attacks by botnets compromise computers, which in turn target web servers to allow thousands of password attempts per hour and other online password cracking activities. For stakeholders in cloud hosting environments, the implication is a higher expectation of being targeted for server takeovers, root-kitting, and botnet command-and-control insertions.
Hence, there is a long felt but unresolved need for a computer implemented method and system that secures data in a cloud storage environment. Moreover, there is a need for a computer implemented method and system that maintains integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of information stored in the cloud storage environment. Furthermore, there is a need for a computer implemented method and system that prevents online password cracking activities on information stored in the cloud storage environment.